PUBLISHER: The Business Research Company | PRODUCT CODE: 1932772
PUBLISHER: The Business Research Company | PRODUCT CODE: 1932772
A membrane bioreactor (MBR) is a wastewater treatment process that integrates biological treatment with membrane filtration, typically microfiltration or ultrafiltration. This combination allows for advanced separation of organic matter and suspended solids. The process involves using microbes to break down pollutants, followed by filtration through submerged membranes.
The main types of membrane bioreactors include hollow fiber, flat sheet, and multi-tubular configurations. In a hollow fiber membrane bioreactor, parallel-assembled hollow fiber membranes are contained within an external shell, often shaped like a cylinder. This configuration is particularly useful for culturing highly metabolic cells, such as hepatocytes, which require efficient mass transfer. There are two system configurations in membrane bioreactors: submerged and external/side streams. These MBR systems find applications in both municipal wastewater treatment and industrial wastewater treatment processes.
Note that the outlook for this market is being affected by rapid changes in trade relations and tariffs globally. The report will be updated prior to delivery to reflect the latest status, including revised forecasts and quantified impact analysis. The report's Recommendations and Conclusions sections will be updated to give strategies for entities dealing with the fast-moving international environment.
Tariffs have created both challenges and opportunities for the membrane bioreactor market by increasing the cost of imported membranes, filtration modules, and system components used in wastewater treatment projects. Higher duties have impacted project economics for municipal and industrial installations, particularly in regions reliant on cross border supply chains such as Asia Pacific and Europe. These pressures have encouraged manufacturers to localize production, diversify sourcing strategies, and optimize system designs. In some markets, tariffs have supported domestic membrane manufacturing and strengthened regional supply resilience over the long term.
The membrane bioreactor market research report is one of a series of new reports from The Business Research Company that provides membrane bioreactor market statistics, including membrane bioreactor industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with a membrane bioreactor market share, detailed membrane bioreactor market segments, market trends and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the membrane bioreactor industry. This membrane bioreactor market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenario of the industry.
The membrane bioreactor market size has grown rapidly in recent years. It will grow from $4.65 billion in 2025 to $5.2 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.7%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to stringent wastewater discharge regulations, rapid urbanization increasing sewage volumes, limited availability of freshwater resources, rising industrial wastewater generation, demand for higher effluent quality standards.
The membrane bioreactor market size is expected to see rapid growth in the next few years. It will grow to $8.1 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.8%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to increasing investments in advanced wastewater treatment infrastructure, rising demand for water reuse and recycling, technological advancements in membrane efficiency, expansion of industrial treatment capacity in emerging economies, supportive government initiatives for sustainable water management. Major trends in the forecast period include increasing adoption in municipal wastewater treatment, shift toward compact and decentralized treatment systems, rising preference for submerged membrane configurations, advancements in fouling resistant membrane materials, integration of biological nutrient removal processes.
The rising prevalence of water pollution is significantly contributing to the growth of the membrane bioreactor market. Water pollution occurs when toxic substances, often chemicals or microorganisms, are released into streams, rivers, lakes, or oceans. These incidents frequently stem from the scarcity of clean and drinkable water. As water pollution increases, membrane bioreactors become a viable alternative for water treatment through microfiltration or ultrafiltration. For example, in August 2025, Gov.uk, a UK-based government information portal, reported a continued rise in pollution incidents from sewerage and water supply assets, with a 29% increase between 2023 and 2024. Therefore, the growing prevalence of water pollution is expected to boost demand for membrane bioreactors during the forecast period.
Major companies operating in the membrane bioreactor (MBR) market are focusing on developing innovative solutions, such as advanced membrane-based wastewater treatment systems, to meet the rising demand for high-efficiency, compact, and reusable water treatment technologies. MBR technology integrates biological treatment with membrane filtration to produce higher-quality effluent than traditional activated-sludge processes. For instance, in June 2025, Almasa Environmental Solutions, a UAE-based wastewater treatment company, launched the country's first MBR manufacturing facility, marking a major step forward in regional water-treatment innovation. The newly developed MBR units use semi-permeable membrane filtration combined with biological degradation to efficiently remove suspended solids, pathogens, and organic contaminants. These systems offer a smaller footprint, higher effluent clarity, reduced sludge generation, and improved operational stability compared with conventional clarifiers. They are suitable for municipal sewage, industrial wastewater, greywater recycling, and water-scarce regions that require reliable reuse-grade output.
In January 2023, Integrated Water Services, Inc., a US-based provider of water and wastewater treatment solutions, acquired M|MBR Systems. This acquisition positions Integrated Water Services to expand market opportunities for their BluBox Modular MBR Systems, combining technology, products, and field installation to better serve customers. M|MBR Systems, a US-based bioreactor manufacturer and distributor, primarily served selected wastewater treatment and water reuse markets in the USA.
Major companies operating in the membrane bioreactor market are Suez SA, Kubota Corporation, Evoqua Water Technologies LLC, Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, Toray Industries Inc., CITIC Envirotech Ltd., Koch Membrane Systems Inc., Alfa Laval AB, Veolia Environnement S.A., newterra ltd., General Electric Company, B&P Water Technologies S.r.l., MANN+HUMMEL Water & Fluid Solutions GmbH, HUBER SE, Aqua-Aerobic Systems Inc., Aqua Membranes Inc., BioprocessH2O LLC, DAS Environmental Expert GmbH, Dow Water & Process Solutions, Hydranautics, LG Chem Ltd., Membrane Specialists LLC, Microdyn-Nadir GmbH, Pentair plc, Siemens Water Technologies Corp.
Asia-Pacific was the largest region in the membrane bioreactor market in 2025, and it is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in the membrane bioreactor market report are Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa
The countries covered in the membrane bioreactor market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.
The membrane bioreactor consists of sales of aerobic and anaerobic treatment tanks, an aeration system, mixers, a membrane tank, a clean-in-place system. Values in this market are 'factory gate' values, that is the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.
The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).
The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.
Membrane Bioreactor Market Global Report 2026 from The Business Research Company provides strategists, marketers and senior management with the critical information they need to assess the market.
This report focuses membrane bioreactor market which is experiencing strong growth. The report gives a guide to the trends which will be shaping the market over the next ten years and beyond.
Where is the largest and fastest growing market for membrane bioreactor ? How does the market relate to the overall economy, demography and other similar markets? What forces will shape the market going forward, including technological disruption, regulatory shifts, and changing consumer preferences? The membrane bioreactor market global report from the Business Research Company answers all these questions and many more.
The report covers market characteristics, size and growth, segmentation, regional and country breakdowns, total addressable market (TAM), market attractiveness score (MAS), competitive landscape, market shares, company scoring matrix, trends and strategies for this market. It traces the market's historic and forecast market growth by geography.
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